The judoka, who grew up in Rio's City of God community, beat Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia in the 57kg final to claim the host nation's first title. Rafaela had the vocal support of the fans in Carioca Arena 2, especially from her family who were out in force to support her. 
"It really helped me with momentum and the pressure against my opponents," she said. "The stadium was shaking, everybody was screaming and cheering me on every minute."
